diff --git a/app/controllers/candidate_controller.rb b/app/controllers/candidate_controller.rb
index bb9de97..bf63951 100644
--- a/app/controllers/candidate_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/candidate_controller.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ def is_candidate?
   end
 
   def portal
+    @events = Event.with_permission(current_user).where('end_time >= ? AND end_time <= ?', Time.now, Time.now + 7.days).order(:start_time)
+    @challenges = Challenge.where(candidate_id: current_user.id)
+    @announcements = Announcement.all.limit(10)
+    set_up_status_and_my_events
+    set_up_done
+  end
+
+  def set_up_status_and_my_events
     req = Hash.new { |h,k| 0 }
     req["Mandatory for Candidates"] = 3
     req["Fun"] = 3
@@ -17,14 +25,14 @@ def portal
     @my_events = current_user.events.group_by(&:event_type)
     @my_confirmed_events = current_user.events.joins(:rsvps).where('rsvps.confirmed = ?', 't').group_by(&:event_type)
     @status = {}
-    req.each do |x, y|
-      @my_events[x] ||= []
-      @my_confirmed_events[x] ||= []
-      @status[x] = (@my_confirmed_events[x].count >= y)
+    req.each do |event_type, count_required|
+      @my_events[event_type] ||= []
+      @my_confirmed_events[event_type] ||= [] # prevent nil exceptions
+      @status[event_type] = (@my_confirmed_events[event_type].count >= count_required)
     end
-    @events = Event.with_permission(current_user).where('end_time >= ? AND end_time <= ?', Time.now, Time.now + 7.days).order(:start_time)
-    @challenges = Challenge.where(candidate_id: current_user.id)
-    @announcements = Announcement.all.limit(10)
+  end
+
+  def set_up_done
     @done = Hash.new(false)
     @done["events"] = !@status.has_value?(false)
     @done["challenges"] = @challenges.where(confirmed: true).count >= 5
diff --git a/app/views/candidate/portal.html.erb b/app/views/candidate/portal.html.erb
index 238377b..342ddb9 100644
--- a/app/views/candidate/portal.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/candidate/portal.html.erb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
   <h2>Important Information</h2>
   [Coming Soon]
-  
+
   <h2>Additional Forms</h2>
   [Coming Soon]
 </div>
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
   <div id="checklist" style="float:left">
     <h2>Checklist</h2>
-    
+
     <div style="float:left; width: 45%;">
       <h3>
         <span class="<%= "req_status " + (@done["events"] ? "status_done" : "status_notdone") %>"></span>